Friday, March 20, 2009

On April 15, The Ansel Adams Gallery will be releasing one more image in the Archival Replica series – Grass and Rain, Glacier Bay National Park, 1948. This beautiful image has been very rarely reproduced, and is not one that has come available as an original in recent memory. This image was made from an original in the family’s collection, a beautiful print made in the 50s or 60s. The overall print is brighter than the few reproductions that have been produced, and the tone warmer than other originals we have seen. It is, we think, a very fine example of a rare but beautiful image. The Archival Replica is readily available in sizes up to 24x30, and larger upon request.

The most exciting aspect of the Archival Replica series for us is that we can make high quality reproductions of less well known images. Ansel’s published or printed body of work consists of well over 1,500 images, of which only a handful are well known. The collections of the Adams family and the archive at the Center for Creative Photography have many beautiful and rarely seen prints that we can draw on for this series, and we expect to release approximately 10-12 each year.

Recently Marc Silber and Robert Scoble paid a visit to Matthew Adams, Ansel’s grandson, at the Ansel Adams Gallery. Robert wrote:

The Ansel Adams gallery has a problem: there’s still a lot of demand for Ansel Adams photos (Steve Jobs allegedly has a bunch of originals in his house) but they can’t make any more original prints because Ansel has been dead for quite a few decades. That means his original prints are selling for tens of thousands of dollars (and in some cases even hundreds of thousands).

Which means most people won’t be able to put an Ansel Adams picture on their walls.

That’s changing because his grandson is leading an effort to digitize some of his photos and print them in an affordable format. But these are no mere cheap copies. They are virtually indistinguishable from the originals. Matthew Adams, Ansel’s grandson, says it’s hard for him to tell the difference and he’s around the originals all day long. Here Marc Silber and Robert Scoble learn the process that The Ansel Adams Gallery is using to digitize the images.

To view the current offerings in the Archival Replica collection, please www.anseladams.com.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Waterfalls of Yosemite Valley, led by Mike Osborne, will allow you to visit many of the best viewpoints to photograph the Valley's fabled waterfalls. In addition to photographic tips, we also will cover the factors that make each waterfall individual as well as spectacular: its geology, watershed, water cycle & volume, and the contributions of glaciation and erosion to its current presentation. We will also briefly examine how the manifestations of global climate change have been affecting the waterfalls in recent years.

Mike Osborne recently retired from a thirty-year career as a ranger in Yosemite National Park, including eight seasons as a wilderness ranger. Mike has actively photographed nature in Yosemite and other wild places for over thirty-five years. Mike is the author of the book Granite, Water & Light, an interpretive and photographic paean to the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley. Originally published by Yosemite Association in 1983, an updated and expanded edition is currently being printed with a scheduled arrival in bookstores this spring. He also recently participated in a five-year project visually celebrating the Yosemite Wilderness with four other photographers. Sponsored by the Yosemite Fund, a book of their images called First Light: Five Photographers Explore the Yosemite Wilderness is being published and due out this summer.

The Center for Photographic Art is proud to announce the opening of PEOPLE, OF AND BY ANSEL ADAMScurated by Jeanne Falk Adams and Sarah Adams.Rarely seen portraits by Ansel Adams from the personal collection of Michael and Jeanne Falk Adams highlight this truly historic show held in Ansel Adams’ hometown of Carmel, California.

Although Ansel is universally known for his landscapes, Jon Holmes wrote this of his portraits: "His portraits really stand apart. ... These are tactile images in which the viewer can reach into the frame and touch the subject."

Also included in the exhibit are portraits of Ansel Adams taken by his friends, family, and colleagues.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Over the last couple of weeks, wildflowers have begun to emerge in the Merced River Canyon. Last week, an explosion of poppies began to fill the canyon, with what some are saying to be the best bloom in years.

Driving Highway 140 into Yosemite National Park will allow you to see the gorgeous wildflowers that are filling the canyon. Along the way, consider stopping to hike Hite's Cove, a 9 mile round-trip trail known for it's wildflowers.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

We are nearing the end of our stock for our limited release of this unique photograph taken by Ansel Adams in Yosemite in 1938. There are only a few Special Edition Photographs left before this negative goes back into retirement. Now is your last chance to add Gates of the Valley to your Yosemite Photograph collection. To order, visit www.anseladams.com.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

It's auction season again for photography, with several sales in New York scheduled for the end of March and beginning of April. It promises to be an interesting one. Sales in the art world are down across the board, and along with volume, prices are also down (sometimes significantly) from the recent highs. Works by Ansel Adams seem to have held up better than those of most photographers, but we are looking to the upcoming auctions for affirmation of our thoughts about current market conditions.

The auctions last fall occurred just after the economy started to implode, and we saw a high number of lots "pass" (fail to meet minimum bid requirements established by the seller). Ansel Adams prints that did sell were generally at levels that we would expect, leading to the conclusion that for the iconic images, there was enough demand and competition to keep prices stable, but for the less well known, or less popular images, the buyers were getting good deals or weren't willing to meet the consignor’s floor.

Five months later, while it is definitely a buyer's market, we expect to see a similar pricing pattern. The price of iconic images and really spectacular individual pieces should remain fairly flat. The question is to what extent the weak economy has forced a revision of the seller's floor for the less popular images. Some sellers come to market with a price in mind and won't accept anything less. This may have an impact on the material that is coming to auction. There are many fewer pieces available than we have seen in recent years, and most of the lots have estimates in line with prices realized in the last 3 years.

This year Sotheby’s has the majority of Ansel Adams lots, and will offer two portfolios in addition to a number of popular and iconic images. I have found Sotheby’s condition reports to be pretty accurate, and feel that their estimates are realistic. I will personally be very interested to see their 11x14 Clearing Winter Storm, as the best print in the family collection is this size, and we think the best one we’ve ever seen. In the recent past, estimates at Christie’s have tended to be a bit aggressive, and have perhaps anchored some buyers high in the process. I will be very surprised if the Portfolio 4 achieves the low hammer estimate, but it would be a pleasant surprise nonetheless. The rest of the lots seem to be within reason, although I have found Christie’s condition reports to have overlooked some important details in the past.

As we have for the past few years, the Gallery will be represented at the auctions and will be inspecting for our own evaluations and database. Individuals interested in our auction services or to discuss Ansel Adams original photography should contact me at matthewadams@anseladams.com.